Array of Products

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an array of products comprising a plurality of different containers having a similar container to closure interface across at least one brand and different volumetric sizes wherein at least one of said containers comprises more than one undercut and comprising a plurality of different closures comprising at least one common component.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/433,068, filed on Jan. 14, 2011; and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/433,052, filed on Jan. 14, 2011; and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/433,062, filed on Jan. 14, 2011; and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/433,072, filed on Jan. 14, 2011; and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/433,079, filed on Jan. 14, 2011; and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/432,698, filed on Jan. 14, 2011, all of which are herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an array of products comprising a plurality of different containers having a similar container to closure interface across at least one brand and different volumetric sizes wherein at least one of said containers comprises more than one undercut. In particular, the plurality of containers is coupled with a plurality of different closures comprising at least one common component.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A variety of packages, including dispensing packages or containers, have been developed for household products, personal care products, and other products. Containers that have a pleasing aesthetic look to consumers have a closure design that is fully integrated with the design of the container. This conveys the message that the integration of the two components was well thought of. This is important to make closure functioning intuitive to consumers. An example of a well integrated container/closure system is one where the container's geometry wraps around the closure to create shoulders. This geometry can also be referred to as a container with a recessed neck. This recess geometry serves different purposes: overall integrated look to the container and closure, stability to container in inverted orientation, and makes functioning of closure more intuitive to consumers.

Currently, most closures complete the geometry of the container, thereby requiring the size of the closure to be proportional to the geometry of the container. In the present invention, the size of the closure is minimized thereby providing several benefits. One of the benefits is reducing the weight of the closure to the minimum amount of resin needed to enable the required closure functionality. This is a benefit for the environment as industry currently does not have a well established polypropylene recycling stream. By having a closure that has a reduced weight from the overall package, this allows a container to have improved recyclability. It also reduces the overall costs of the closure including costs associated with resin, processing, tooling, injection mold (IM) press selection, and others. Another benefit of minimizing closure size is that the closure becomes a less focal point of the design making it more inductive to use the same closure for different container designs within one brand and even enable the use of the same closure across different brands/shaped families. This drives optimization and efficiency and in return reduces further costs. This further enables the silhouette of the shape to be scaled proportionally without the use of additional features such as steps, larger radii or other geometric alterations and angles to accommodate the closure.

Another benefit for minimizing the closure size is that it can be integrated in the container shape. When the container is in its inverted orientation, an integrated design allows the use of the container top surface to add stability vs. requiring a larger closure. It also aids in creating differentiation between the forms (such as shampoo and conditioner), helping consumers identify the product that they are looking for. This drives scale in the container design and development and therefore is an advantage. A further advantage is that having a recessed closure provides a higher level of protection from damage due to the recessed closure being protected by the recess geometry. Another benefit of having a recessed neck where the container wraps around the closure is that it enables using the same closure across different sizes while still having an integrated look between the container and the closure. A further benefit of the present invention is the enablement of using the same closure across containers made by different molding technologies. Non-limiting examples of molding technologies include extrusion blow molding (EBM), injection blow molding (IBM), and injection stretch blow molding (ISBM). This drives scale and further reduces costs.

When looking at containers in the market, the common practice is to use a different closure for each individual container design. This is especially noticed across different brands and even across different volumetric sizes of a same brand. Different closure shapes and designs are typically used across different brands in order to give each its own equity. When looking at the range of different container volumetric sizes within one same brand, companies typically opt for creating different closures for each size in order to enable matching the closure's geometry to the container's geometry. This allows achieving a more integrated look to the entire package, where the closure completes the silhouette of the container. The need to create multiple closures increases costs, as it increases the number of manufacturing tooling needed, developmental work, and reduces the potential creation of scale, which otherwise could reduce costs. Typically, larger containers also use larger closures, therefore further increasing the costs from raw materials, processing, tooling selection and others. In some instances, it has been noticed that some companies are using the same closure across different container brands or across different volumetric sizes, however these containers need to have very similar geometries where the containers meet the closure to enable achieving an integrated look. This means that the volumetric sizes of the containers need to be very similar across the containers using the same closure, posing a limitation to the range of container sizes that can share a common closure. In some instances when closures are shared across a larger volumetric size range, features on the containers such as steps, larger radii, changes in dimensional proportions or other geometric alterations are needed to force a container to match a closure's geometry. For example, at times the container height limitation will have been reached, and to further increase the internal volume of the container, the width and depth of the container may need to be altered which leads to different container/closure interface as well as container dimensional proportions. This is not desired, as it forces the container's overall shape to move beyond the original design equity. As previously discussed, being able to use the same closure across a wide range of different volumetric sized containers and across different brands without affecting their design equity and while allowing to create a fully integrated silhouette is not only desirable, but also not observed in the market.

For reasons stated above, leveraging the same identical closure across different container brands and volumetric sizes increases their scale, which typically results in reduced costs. Closures may comprise of one, two, three, or even more components. The higher the number of shared components within the closures, the higher the scale created and therefore typically, the lower the per part costs. For this reason, a benefit of the present invention provides a flexibility wherein identical components are shared across closures to produce identical closures, followed by closures wherein only one component changes and so on.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention describes an array of products comprising different containers that share a similar container to closure interface and can be used across at least one brand and across different volumetric sizes coupled with different closures that share at least one common closure component. At least one of said containers comprises more than one undercut in its geometry.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is an isometric view of containers across a wide range of volumetric sizes wherein a same closure is shared;

FIG. 1B is a top view of containers across a wide range of volumetric sizes wherein a same closure is shared;

FIG. 1C is a side view of containers across a wide range of volumetric sizes wherein a same closure is shared;

FIG. 1D is an exploded view of the closure of FIGS. 1A-1C depicting a closure component being shared across FIGS. 2C and 2D;

FIG. 2A is an isometric view of a container having a different shape than the shape of container(s) in FIGS. 1A-1C, wherein this container shares at least one closure component with those shown in FIGS. 1A-1C;

FIG. 2B is a side view of the container shown in FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2C is an exploded overview of the closure of FIGS. 2A and 2B, depicting a closure component being shared across FIGS. 1A-1C;

FIG. 2D is an exploded underview of the closure of FIGS. 2A and 2B, depicting a closure component being shared across FIGS. 1A-1C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For the purposes of the present invention, suitable recesses are those that permit a portion of the article to wrap around at least part of a closure, when said closure is coupled with said article. Such recess may allow the closure, when coupled to said article, to remain substantially flush to the apex of the outermost surface of said article. By “at least part of a closure” it is herein intended that said portion extends around the perimeter of the closure to form an angle of at least 45°, preferably at least 60°, more preferable between 60° and 360°, taken from the centre of the closure and in the x-y plane, when said closure is coupled to said article.

The term “integrated” as used herein intends that: (i) at least part of said closure remains substantially flush with at least one surface of the article, preferably the outer surface of said shoulder; and (ii) that at least one shoulder of said article wraps around at least part of said closure, preferably forming at least one concave surface. The advantage of such configuration being a consumer desirable silhouette.

The term “undercut” as used herein a physical geometry that hinders article removal from a mold when said mold is opened in a linear direction which intersects at least a portion of said geometry.

The term “non-functional, different, separable graphics” as used herein refers to labels used to convey information to the consumer and to differentiate products between different brands. The term “non-functional” is used to indicate that the label does not perform any other function other than that of conveying a message to the consumer. The term “separable” indicates that the container and the label were separate at some point prior to the final assembly being completed and does not pose a limitation to only containers where the label can be removed after being assembled.

The term “scale” as used herein refers to an economic benefit obtained by reducing the design and development time and resources, as well as capital investment obtained by direct reapplication without negative implications on consumer acceptance, design aesthetics, etc.

In an embodiment of the present invention, an array (300) of products comprises a plurality of different containers having a common or similar container (306) to closure (307) interface (308). These containers encompass a range of different volumetric sizes and can be used across different brands. The array (300) of products comprises at least one container (306) comprising more than one undercut in its geometry. These undercuts may be located proximal to the neck geometry of the container (306). The array (300) of products may also comprise a plurality of closures and each comprises at least one component (301 or 302) that is shared or common across the array (300). When assembled, the closures seal the containers' orifice. The product inside the containers can be a liquid or a solid and can be the same or different across the different containers. In a non-limiting example of an embodiment of the present invention, the range of volumetric sizes can cover a range of at least 300 mL. In a further embodiment, the range may be extended to at least 1000 mL and even in a further embodiment extended to cover volumetric sizes in a range of at least 1200 mL. The containers in the array may be of the same or different colors and may be used across a single brand, two brands, or a higher number of brands. The closure (307) to container (306) interface (308) may be similar across the array such that the closure attaches securely to the container while looking like it belongs in the container/closure assembly, however this does not pose a limitation where the interface across the packages need be exactly identical across the array. In an embodiment of the present invention, the colors, additives and resins used to prepare the containers and the components of the closures in the array that are shared or common across the array may be selected from the following non-limiting group: the same, partially the same, completely different, and mixtures thereof.

In an embodiment of the present invention, an array (300) of products comprises a plurality of closures wherein the closures comprise at least two common components (301, 302). These components can be either functional and necessary to enable the operation of the closure, as well as some of them being only for decorative and aesthetic purposes.

In an embodiment of the present invention, an array (300) of products comprises a plurality of different closures wherein the closure comprises at least one common component (301 or 302) selected from the group consisting of a shroud and an engine.

In an embodiment of the present invention, an array (300) of products comprises a plurality of closures wherein the closures comprise at least two common components (301,302) and these common components can be referred to as a shroud and an engine. In a further embodiment, the engine can be referred to as the component of the closure that attaches to the container, whilst the shroud can be referred to as the component of the closure that connects to the engine and provides the outermost aesthetic shape to the complete closure. An example of an embodiment can be used where the closure is comprised of only a shroud and engine component, however this invention is not limited to only two components and more components that need not be identical across the entire array.

In an embodiment of the present invention, an array of products wherein two or more of the containers comprise non-functional, different, separable graphics. As previously defined, these graphics are used only to convey information to the consumer on the product housed within the container and its recommended use, as well as to provide differentiation between forms and between different brands.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the array (300) of products comprises a plurality of containers wherein the containers comprise different container shapes. Using different container shapes allows the containers to be used across different volumetric sizes and brands whilst maintaining their design brand equity. In a non-limiting example, one embodiment of the present invention comprises containers wherein the containers have different absolute dimensions and their overall shapes are not related such that they can be used across different brands. In another non-limiting example, an embodiment of the present invention comprises containers wherein the containers have different absolute dimensions whilst maintaining their overall aspect ratios, such that they can be used across the same brand.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the array of products comprises a plurality of containers wherein the containers comprise the same container shape and wherein the absolute dimensions are identical across the entire array. The containers within the array may share the same colors, resins, graphics, and additives or have variations within these.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the closures within the array of products can comprise different actuation mechanisms. Non-limiting examples are selected from the group consisting of flip to open, twist to open, disc top/toggle to open, push-pull, screw top, slide, threaded caps and mixtures thereof. The specific actuation mechanism can be selected based on the brand equity and desired consumer experience. An example of an embodiment would be a container (305) coupled with a closure (304) that operates by rotating one component (303) of the closure relative to another component (302) of the closure.

In an embodiment of the present invention, one or more containers in the array of products comprises a geometry where the interface between the closure and the container's geometry about the neck of the container can be selected from the group consisting of concave, convex, linear, non-linear, mixtures of linear and non-linear, or mixtures thereof. The specific shape of the interface geometry can be defined to match the shape of the closure, allowing therefore the creation of an integrated look between the closure and the container.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, a container (305) made by the present invention comprises a non-linear geometry about a neck of the container and closure (304) interface (308) of the container. The curvature of the interface (308) allows having the container (305) wrap around the closure (304) to enable a fully integrated desired design aesthetic. The portion of the container (305) that wraps around the closure (304) can be referred to as the container's shoulder (309).

In an embodiment of the present invention, a container (305) made by the present invention comprises a shoulder (309) geometry wherein the side of the shoulder wall having an interface (308) with the closure (308) has a positive draft angle of less than 10 degrees and in a further embodiment, there may be further reduction of the draft angle to less than 8 degrees and preferably even a further reduction of the draft angle to 5 degrees or less. This shoulder (309) surface creates the interface (308) between the container (305) and the closure (304), once the closure (304) is assembled. Having a positive draft angle of less than 10 degrees is important for two main reasons:

1) Consumer acceptance—the smaller the draft angle, the smaller the space or gap that will exist between the closure (304) and the container (305) after the closure (304) is assembled. Large gaps are typically perceived by consumers as areas where water and product can accumulate, making the overall assembly be perceived as messy. In addition, a large gap can give consumers the perception that the closure (304) and container (305) are not fully integrated, making the overall package appear as a poor design. When such a gap exceeds 7.4 mm distance from the shoulder surface to the closure, the consumer also perceives an internal barrier for product flow. 2) Potential re-application of closure across multiple container sizes—having a low draft angle on the container's vertical shoulder wall enables using a closure (307) with a straight or low vertical draft angle. If the closure has a low vertical draft angle, it can then be used not only with containers that have a shoulder that cover this side of the closure, but also with containers that have a different shoulder design or even those that do not have a shoulder (310), where the closure's periphery is partially or fully exposed. Having the flexibility to use the same closure across different container designs creates scale, which typically reduces costs and logistic complexity.

In an embodiment of the present invention, an array (300) of products comprises a plurality of closures wherein when assembled, the closures are integrated with the bodies of the containers to complete the silhouettes of the bodies of their respective containers. In a further embodiment of the present invention, an array (300) of products comprises a plurality of closures wherein when assembled, the closures are integrated with the shoulder (311) portion of the geometry of the containers in the array (300). This enables completing the silhouettes of the bodies of their respective containers.

In an embodiment of the present invention, an array (300) of products comprises a plurality of containers wherein the containers comprise bottles. These bottles can be used in a variety of fields. Non-limiting examples of such fields are; beauty care products, such as containers for body wash, shampoos and conditioners; domestic and/or household products, such as containers for detergents or other cleaning preparations for cleaning and/or conditioning fabric and/or hard surfaces; oral care products, such as containers for mouth wash; and so on.

In an embodiment of the present invention, an array (300) of products is marketed under a common brand name wherein the volumetric sizes of the plurality of containers may vary, whilst still pertaining to the same brand. As a non-limiting example of an embodiment of the present invention, the array may comprise containers placed in an upward, inverted, or mixtures of orientations. The products inside the containers may vary from one container to another.

In an embodiment of the present invention, an array of products wherein three or more of the plurality of containers comprise non-functional, different, separable graphics. The different graphics represent different brands and different products housed within the containers.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the containers in the array may have a physical geometry that creates at least one non-linear or more than one linear undercut. In an embodiment, a linear undercut may have a portion of the surface geometry such that the surface is within the same plane. In an embodiment of the present invention, a non-linear undercut can be defined by a portion of the surface geometry such that the surface exists in multiple planes.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of closures is comprised of a sustainable material. The closures may be manufactured completely with sustainable materials or selected components only. This may allow for a more recyclable closure. Some of the materials that could be used are: PCR, HDPE, LDPE, Bamboo, renewable resins include PLA (polylactic acid), PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), and bio-polyolefins (bio-PE, bio-PP, bio-PET), where starting materials are plants or biomass instead of oil; recycled and recyclable resins include PP PCR (post consumer regrind) and PIR (post industrial regrind), which are resins diverted from trash to be reprocessed and/or reused instead; Natural fillers include minerals (e.g. CaCO3), wood, pulp, paper, bamboo, grass, kenaf, bulrush, and other natural plants that have been crushed, cut, broken, or pulverized for inclusion in plastics; renewable resins include PLA (polylactic acid), PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), and bio-polyolefins (bio-PE, bio-PP, bio-PET), where starting materials are plants or biomass instead of oil; recycled and recyclable resins include PP PCR (post consumer regrind) and PIR (post industrial regrind), which are resins diverted from trash to be reprocessed and/or reused instead; Natural fillers including minerals (e.g. CaCO3), wood, pulp, paper, bamboo, grass, kenaf, bulrush, and other natural plants that have been crushed, cut, broken, or pulverized for inclusion in plastics; some recycled miscellaneous materials can be used as fillers, including waste currency (e.g. U.S. dollar bills).

The sustainable materials may include biopolymers made from non-petroleum sources, biodegradable polymers, recycled resins and mixtures thereof. Some of the potential biopolymers that could be used for this application are: bamboo, paper, grass, etc. A non-petroleum source may be selected from the group consisting of bio-derived polyethylene, bio derived polypropylene, bio derived polyesters and mixtures thereof. Some or all of the sustainable material may contain colorants, antistatics, UV inhibitors, or other small quantity additives to change the appearance or performance.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, closures may comprise materials which may improve functional performance selected from the group of sealing, ergonomics, stability on storage surfaces, visual aid for user, container durability, customized the tactile and audible signals to the user and mixtures thereof. As an example of a further embodiment, a closure may be partially molded with a soft material. Such soft materials may provide tactile features, as well as improve sealing performance of a closure. Examples of soft materials that can be used when injecting a closure include: Thermoplastic elastomers; TPE including styrenic (SEBS and SBS) based and olefin (TPO PP Elastomer) based; Thermoplastic eurothanes TPU; Melt Processable Rubber MPR; Thermoplastic Vulcanizate TPV; and Poly vinyl chloride PVC and mixtures thereof. In an embodiment of the present invention, the soft like material may delight the consumer with a soft touch feel while opening and closing the closure.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm”

All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention. 

1) An array of products comprising a plurality of different containers having a similar container to closure interface across at least one brand and different volumetric sizes wherein at least one of said containers comprises more than one undercut. 2) An array of products according to claim 1 utilizing a plurality of different closures comprising at least one common component. 3) An array of products according to claim 1 wherein the more than one undercut are located proximal to the neck of the container. 4) An array of products according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of different closures comprise at least one common component selected from the group consisting of an engine or a shroud. 5) An array of products according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of closures comprise at least two common components. 6) An array of products according to claim 5 wherein the plurality of closures comprise at least two common components wherein the common components comprise a same engine and a same shroud. 7) An array of products according to claim 1 wherein two or more of the containers comprise non-functional, different, separable graphics. 8) An array of products according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of containers have different container shapes. 9) An array of products according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of containers have the same container shape. 10) An array of products according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of closures comprise an actuation mechanism selected from the group of flip to open, twist to open, disc top/toggle to open, push-pull, screw top, slide, threaded caps and mixtures thereof. 11) An array of products according to claim 1 wherein the similar container to closure interface comprises a geometry of the container about a neck of a container and a closure interface of the container which is selected from the group consisting of concave, convex, linear, non-linear, mixtures of linear and non-linear, or mixtures thereof. 12) An array of products according to claim 11 wherein a portion of the common container comprises a non-linear geometry about a neck of the container and a closure interface of the container. 13) An array of products according to claim 1 wherein the common container comprises a geometry wherein the vertical side of the shoulder that has an interface with a closure has a positive draft angle of less than 10 degrees. 14) An array of products according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of closures complete a silhouette of a body of the plurality of containers. 15) An array of products according to claim 14 wherein the plurality of closures is integrated with the shoulder geometry of a container and provides a completion of a container silhouette. 16) An array of products according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of containers comprise bottles. 17) An array of products according to claim 1 wherein the array of products are marketed under a common brand name. 18) An array of products according to claim 1 wherein three or more of the plurality of containers comprise non-functional, different, separable graphics. 19) An array of products according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of closures are comprised of a sustainable material. 20) An array of products according to claim 19 wherein the sustainable material is selected from the group consisting of biopolymers made from non-petroleum sources, biodegradable polymers, recycled resins and mixtures thereof. 21) An array of products according to claim 20 wherein the non-petroleum source is selected from the group consisting of bio-derived polyethylene, bio derived polypropylene, bio derived polyesters and mixtures thereof. 22) An array of products according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of closures are comprised of materials which improve functional performance selected from the group consisting of sealing, ergonomics, stability on storage surfaces, visual aids for user, container durability, customization of tactile and audible signals to the user and mixtures thereof. 